What I Read in April 2019

Hello, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Unfortunately, I seem to have been swept away by university deadlines, hospital appointments, copious amount of reading and an unexpected adventure in London! The past few months have been an adventure, for sure, with so many highs and lows that I can’t believe it all happened in the first four months of this year. Although, as you may have seen as a result of all this I have been increasingly inactive which is why I have decided to dedicate the whole of May to be a blogging month. Only as I am writing this am I realising how much of a bad idea this may be as I have two assignments due this month – my final month of university too! But as it is written so it shall be done!

Looking back at my bullet journal reading tracker I am certainly surprised at how much I managed to read! April was certainly a good reading month for me. Though it was unexpected – I didn’t think I would be able to participate in the O.W.L readathon and I have managed to complete TEN of my O.W.Ls! It has been a month full of surprises.

Doctor Aphra: The Catastrophe Con
If you’ve followed me on any of my social media for a prolonged length of time then you will see that I have an obsession with Star Wars. This obsession extends to the graphic novels which I have kept up to date with as much as I can which is why I was giddy when I saw the fourth volume in the Doctor Aphra series had been released. Although it’s been out months technically, I don’t collect individual comics and usually purchase the bind up in Graphic novel form.

Now I adore Aphra, she’s devious, cunning, unforgiving and everything I love in an anti-hero which she is. Essentially I like to think of her as the Indiana Jones of the Star Wars universe who happens to be more criminally inclined and self-indulgent. Although in this story ARC Aphra appears to be captured and imprisoned you just know before the second page that Aphra already has a plan – or several – for escape.

A Witch Come True By James Nicol
This was a book that I had hoped to finish in March, however, after an unfortunate accident in my backpack – was my iPad viciously attacked my original copy. I had to wait until I was able to go into my local bookstore to pick up a new copy which was not ripped to shreds.

Last Easter, I devoured the first two in the series meaning that I’ve had my pre-order on the latest and final in the series since Christmas. I adore the world which James has created (which he certainly knows after how much time I spend gushing about them!). The series gives the feel of Studio Ghibli having met the Worst Witch books which could not be a better combination in my books! Arianwyn is one of my all-time favourite middle-grade characters and in this book it’s lovely to see how far she has come from the first! I’m trying to be really vague and cryptic here but if you haven’t read them yet then you should!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo By Taylor Jenkins Reid
What a surprise! I never expected to actually read this – I tend to stay away from hyped books in fear of disappointment – but I was not at all! Evelyn Hugo has become a book which I really connected with and absolutely devoured on the train back home and then reread only two days later! It’s beautiful, cruel, tormenting and enticing and all in a good way. Evelyn Hugo feels so real, she’s unapologetic, blunt, hypocritical but she feels and I think her ability to feel is one of her most redeeming qualities. Quite honestly, I am obsessed with this book and tend to think about it quite often. In fact, my obsession has meant that one of my final papers for one of my university modules is now going to be on this book!

The Flatshare By Beth O’Leary (audiobook)
One that I am sure everyone has heard of by now! It has been plastered all over my twitter feed the past month so I decided to use my audible credit and treat myself to this one. It’s narrated by Carrie Hope Fletcher (Tiffy) and Kwaku Fortune (Leon) and they are simply perfect for each respective role they undertake and truly bring it alive. If I’m completely honest I expected the entire book to be about their lives with the notes, but hearing how their stories came together, I adored it! This book definitely sparked my love of audiobooks off again.

If you haven’t had a chance to pick up The Flatshare or even listen to it then I recommend you do because it is simply brilliant.

SIX In Death Books By J.D Robb
Perhaps I have used the word obsessed a little too much in this blog post but if any of these books warrant it then it is the In Death series by J.D Robb. It’s a series which I’ve been making my way through since September of last year and after reading six more books in the series I am now TWENTY books in! That’s only like thirty to thirty-five books I have to go until I’m all caught up. Since it is a pretty long series, I feel to be quite honest I may write an individual blog post about these books because they are fab! Futuristic, sci-fi crime novels which follow Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NYSPD and her team as they solve numerous murders and witness their own lives occurring. It’s a series I’ve become seriously passionate about and I am just dying for someone to pick them up and read them too!

That’s all for my April reading update, let me know if you’ve read any of these and what your thoughts were?

Wow, what a great range of books you’ve read! I absolutely loved The Flatshare too, such a wonderful book! I always got confused between Evelyn Hugo and Evelyn Hardcastle! I need to read Evelyn Hugo as I’ve heard such good things!
Hels xx

Thank you! I was the exact same concerning the confusion between Hardcastle and Hugo! It’s funny how they both seemed to appear at similar times but I loved Hugo so much! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts, now I just need to read Evelyn Hardcastle!

That is so great that you’ve been able to read so many books! I love your bullet journal tracker by the way. I really have been meaning to get some more time reading some books. Thanks for sharing! I am interested in a few you’ve posted here that I am going to try to start this month.

I don’t understand how I managed so many! Thank you, I love using my bullet journal to track my reading and it’s great to see it illustrated on the page like that! Hope you enjoy the ones you are going to try!

What a great wrap up! It’s impressive that you’ve managed to read so many books in April and that you enjoyed so many of them too. I have yet to read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but I’ve heard such amazing things from so many reviewers, can’t wait to read it. Thanks for sharing xx

Oh wow, you’ve had a great reading month! I haven’t read any of these but I was reading this thinking “ooh…” on pretty much every title, so I have a strong feeling that will change soon, aha. Great post – I hope May is just as good for reading.